A reflection on the politics and the past… (how to respond to “I don’t DO politics”)

Today I ran into someone who knew me from high school.  When I say that she knew me, I mean just that.  Sadly, I had no recollection of who she was, whether we had classes together, or anything along those lines.  She started talking to me about what she had done in the last 15 years (I was only at her school for a year) and was practically crowing her achievements to me.

It seems my old classmate has moved to California and directs/produces (in her own words) TV commercials.  She had a picture of her with Mike Rowe to prove this to me.  When I asked her who Mike Rowe was she looked at me with shock and horror.

As many of you probably know, Mike Rowe is the host of the Discovery Channel show “Dirty Jobs”    I will add that Mike Rowe does a great job doing some of the nastiest things you could ever imagine.

She asked me what I have been “up to” and I gave the easy answer.  ”Life, family, politics, school” in that order.  Naturally, “life” is the fact that I wake up every morning. “Family” consists of my husband, my cat, and my biological family. “Politics” requires more attention.  My old high school friend (whom I didn’t remember) proceeded to tell me that she “didn’t do politics”.

I can honestly say that I laughed out loud.

“You may not do politics, but they certainly do you”.

 

I had this same conversation with a local talk radio host.  We were discussing my possibilities of hosting my own radio show when I mentioned that everything was tied into politics.  He laughed at me and said “so you would consider my own show political?”

Although people may attempt to ignore politics they are forced to deal with politics constantly throughout their lives.  If the people chose not to acknowledge this fact, it simply gives the politician more power.

Taxes? Can any person claim that the amount of taxes we pay have nothing to do with politics?

Speed limits? That’s right, when you are simply driving down the street that speed you must obey is due to politics.  Mass minds came together and decided what the proper speed was on that road.

Smoking? Yes, any public place in Delaware (and many other states) is “smoke-free” because a politician decided a bar owner could not make the decision regarding their own property without input from the government.

Money in your wallet? TOTALLY! Politicians decided to take the United States currency off the gold standard.   How much “bang” you get for your buck, or vice versa, is thanks to our elected officials.

 

I could go on and on.

 

Instead of explaining this to my high school friend (who was not really a friend), I just smiled.  I like knowing that what I do touches lives all over our great state and country (and although that talk radio host may think he is politics free, we all know this to be otherwise) and my opinions matter.  My reflections today made me think of a particular symbol.

(I added this picture because I googled “reflection” images and thought it was pretty).

 

Have any of you heard of “ouroboros”? I first heard of this concept in a TV show I grew up watching (Red Dwarf) which is decidedly strange yet full of giggles.  ”Ouroboros” is, it turns out, the ancient symbol of infinity.

What am I implying here?

Anywhere you go, anything you do, it has all been touch upon by politics.  Politics is infinity.  The future will always be affected by the past, just as the past will always be affected by hopes for the future.

My friend may be pleased with having met Mike Rowe.  I would much rather meet Ron Paul.

 

On the bright side, my computer is expected back within the next few days.  It has been restored to the factory default and much of the hardware has been replaced, but she will be home (hopefully for good).  You will then hear much more from me.  This may anger some of you, delight others, and some of you will not care.  Either way, I am like the symbol I reflected upon earlier.  Although I may cause myself pain, I will continue to bite.

 

Delaware GOP faces backlash – “Chaos” in Sussex over Christine O’Donnell

Accusations are flying around in Sussex County in regards to Tom Ross and the Delaware GOP.  Judson Bennett is calling the Sussex GOP meeting last night “chaos” while others are claiming respect was shown but it was “heated”.  So what exactly happened?

Last night a resolution was presented to Ron Sams which was as follows:

” Mr. Chairman,

I make a motion to censure State GOP Chairman, Tom Ross for making inappropriate statements and failing to immediately endorse and fully support a lawfully elected republican candidate for the US Senate. Inappropriate statements include, ” she couldn’t be elected dog catcher,” when speaking about US Senate Candidate Christine O’Donnell. Tom Ross fails to represent the will of the rank and file republicans in Delaware.”

 

Don Ayotte claims Ron Sams (the Sussex County GOP chair) knew this resolution was to be presented; Ron then attempted to bypass the “New Business” section of the evening so the resolution would not be voted on.  Ron Sams claims he was simply not given enough time to get to the “New Business” part of the agenda before people began clamoring for this resolution to be presented.

“The people’s choice won the primary, but the people have no say in holding the GOP chair in check”.  A vote of the crowd was taken at the Sussex GOP meeting.  The people claim Tom Ross doesn’t speak for them.  The people have spoken.  Over 100,000 people voted for Christine O’Donnell (who, according to Tom Ross, couldn’t be elected dog catcher).  Christine may not have won the election, but she did win the primary, proving she could at least beat the infamous Mike Castle.

Judson Bennett claims the vote was not valid regardless as there must be 50 committee members available to vote and only 31 were present.  This vote to censure Tom Ross is not legally binding; however, it seems the people are paying attention.  Sussex County Councilman Vance Phillips called for the vote to take place at the next meeting with 50 committee members present.  What else did Vance Phillips say about the Sussex County GOP meeting last night?

“If the energy at last night’s GOP meeting can be engaged through effective leadership, clear vision and a sustainable plan, the new conservative Republican party will start to win statewide elections beginning in 2012.  If the old guard attempts to manipulate the Republican masses, they do so at their own political peril, forever being remembered as the has-beens who permanently divided the Delaware Republican Party.

I applaud the initiative to put forth the resolution.  I am proud of the 95% of the people in the room who supported it.  I am embarrassed by tape-recording extremist who flail and disrupt an otherwise logical discussion about asserting a collective vote of no-confidence in current leadership.

I am disappointed the Sussex Chairman did not recognize the representative of the Christine O’Donnell campaign while candidates were being given time to thank the group for their hard work during the election.  This concerns me greatly as it, along with the blatant and biased stonewalling of a resolution that had the overwhelming support of the committee and Republicans in attendance, indicates that even on the local level leadership still doesn’t get it.  ”

Frank Knotts says “Some may see this as division among the GOP. I see it as a coming together of conservatives.”  Maria Evans, whom Frank Knotts accused of “Big Brother tactics” claims that after Christine O’Donnell won the primary, Tom Ross’s rhetoric stopped.  Maria Evans recorded the meeting in question and has yet to publish that recording (although she may now as people are personally requesting her to do so).

Here is a question many may not be asking.  When Tom Ross made his rude comments regarding Christine O’Donnell, was he doing so as Delaware GOP chair or was he doing so in a more personal capacity? Are the man and the office one and the same?

Judson Bennett claims “Regardless, without compromise, with this “take no prisoners”, vitriolic attitude, the Delaware GOP will not rebuild, will not heal, and will continue to lose elections.”

This writer tends to agree.  The People have spoken.  With the Delaware GOP ignoring the vote of many of its registered voters, it may never fully recover.  Although many are blaming Tom Ross and the Delaware GOP for Christine O’Donnell’s loss, this may not be the case.  Christine’s spotted past is not Tom Ross’s fault.  Tom Ross’s statements, however, he should be held responsible for.

 

Tom Wagner, Richard Korn, & the 9/12 Delaware Patriots – An awkward triangle: statements from all sides here

“Hi, I am a Republican and a 9/12 Patriot and I am supporting …”

Oh, wait, no.  That’s so wrong.  The 9/12 DELAWARE Patriots have not endorsed anyone.  They have announced that they are supporting “platforms” of particular candidates, but no actual people.

Imagine the surprise of 9/12 Delaware Patriot Executive Board Member Alex Garcia when he received a “robo-call” at about 9:10 last night telling him that a group which sounded surprisingly like the one he is on the board of fully supports and endorses Richard Korn, the Democrat running for State Auditor.  In fact, when Alex contacted the Department of Elections, some of their own employees had received the very same call.

The first response on the 9/12 Delaware Patriots upon confirmation of the “robo-calls?”  They contacted local media and sent out an email to their members.  The 9/12 Delaware Patriots state the following in their email:

Richard Korn IS NOT endorsed by the 9-12 Delaware Patriots

We have received an email from a member saying that someone is calling on behalf of Richard Korn stating that the 9-12 Delaware Patriots endorse him as State Auditor and to vote for him. Alex Garcia, an Executive Board Member of the 9-12 Delaware Patriots, then received a similiar call with a similiar message.

WE DO NOT SUPPORT RICHARD KORN

Just as he has lied about Tom Wagner, the current State Auditor not auditing school districts, (see link below) he is now lying about being supported by the 9-12 Delaware Patriots.

If you take the time to explore the link, the comments are quite possible the best part.

Richard Korn, who has spoken at one 9/12 Delaware Patriots meeting, apparently also subscribes to the 9/12 Delaware Patriots email list.  I contacted Mr. Korn regarding the “robo-calls” to get his statement.  He stated that he had emailed a response to the contact he had for the 9/12 Delaware Patriots and kindly forwarded me the email.  His response is below:

Please know that I also received a telephone call from someone, claiming to be a Republican and a member of “Delaware Patriots,” endorsing me for State Auditor.  The call I received said that the individual was endorsing me. It did not say that “Delaware Patriots” nor the “9-12 Patriots” was endorsing me and I have NEVER represented that I am “Endorsed” and / or “…being supported by the 9-12 Delaware Patriots.”

I do not know who made this call. However, in this 11th hour of the campaign, I have my suspicions where this call originated from.

Further and for clarification, I have NEVER LIED about Tom Wagner not auditing school districts. It is a fact that since 2000 the local district tax funds haveNOT been audited pursuant to the mandate of Title 29, Sec, 2906 (f) of the Delaware State Code.

Thank you and I trust you will disseminate and / or post my response to the email below.

Mr. Korn also confessed to me that he was not expecting the “robo-calls” and was not behind them.  ”I don’t play those games, I don’t do that”.  He discussed the distinction between the school auditing code which has been the source of so many people joking at his expense.  ”You have to obey the law”.

I also contacted Tom Wagner, the Republican incumbent for this office.  Tom Wagner stated the following:

“I think it’s unfortunate that the state Auditor’s race has stooped to this level.  My opponent has resorted to a slew of untruths.  I remain optimistic that the voters of Delaware will see the truth.  There is only one person who would have any foreseeable benefit from a call like this, Richard Korn.  I have been the only state-wide candidate to keep my race and ads positive.”  Almost as an afterthought Mr. Wagner added “to think that Mr. Korn would even suggest that he has an idea where this call may have originated as if to imply that I would have anything to do with it is just an example of more untruths.”

Watch exclusive Christine O’Donnell video ONLY here! (talks about TEA influence & more)

It’s official, it’s election day!

A few hours ago I had the chance to talk one-on-one with Christine O’Donnell and ask her a few questions about her view on the upcoming election, the Tea Party Movement, and the role of government.

Unfortunately, there were serious time constraints (so many of your Twitter questions did not get asked), but please, take 5 minutes and learn more about Christine O’Donnell by watching the video below!

(And don’t forget to vote!)

Will there be more later? Totally, just not before I sleep.  I have lots of great coverage from a rally or two write about still!

Inconsistencies in the “Main Stream Media” – Even CNN changes their story

CNN talked about a “war of words“, giving quotes from the cable network operator Tim Qualls in regards to the Christine O’Donnell’s un-aired campaign ad.  Tim Qualls is quoted as stating “We didn’t receive the show until Saturday night.  They showed up at my employee’s house…at 11 p.m.” Qualls does tell CNN that an employee MAY have accepted payment for the ad to air.

Four hours later CNN has changed their story.

“According to a statement from the O’Donnell campaign, the ad aired at 3 p.m. ET Monday and will appear again at 6 and 6:30 p.m. ET Monday and at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. ET Tuesday.

Qualls says there was a miscommunication over the ad – but does confirm the matter has been resolved and the ad is airing. He does note the times in the campaign statement are off, stating the ad ran at 3 p.m. ET Monday and is now scheduled to run again at 11:30 pm Monday and on Tuesday at 10 a.m., 10:30 a.m., 3 p.m., and 6 p.m. ET.”

 

The Christine O’Donnell campaign released the following statement:

“The half-hour long special from the O’Donnell campaign was not aired as scheduled on Sunday night and Monday morning. Delaware 28 Executive Producer Tim Qualls explained to the campaign that he was out of the area for the weekend because of a family illness, and was apparently unaware of the campaign’s transaction last Friday between a local third-party buyer and Channel 28 employees.

“Mr. Qualls is being incredibly cooperative now that he finally understands the situation, and we cannot thank him enough for helping us get Christine’s message out to the voters of Delaware. We are sincerely sorry for any misunderstanding that has transpired and that may have added stress to his family situation.

“The Christine O’Donnell television ad is expected to air on Delaware 28 tonight at 6 PM and 6:30 PM, and again Tuesday at 10 AM and 3 PM ET. The campaign is also seeking broadcast opportunities into Delaware through Philadelphia and Salisbury, MD television stations.”

 

I have to wonder, if the station was right about airing the campaign ad, why are they now airing the ad 6 times instead of the 3 times the ad was paid for.  Seems to me like they are apologizing.

Qualls also said their station was inundated with calls.

Keep it up guys, it is the last midnight.

Christine O’Donnell TV special – doesn’t air, programming error? You decide POLL & VID

Christine O’Donnell was scheduled to have a 24 minute television special air last night and today.  Her campaign team sent out numerous emails last night and today prepping us to watch her reception by the people of Delaware.

“With Christine surging in the polls, the O’Donnell campaign is taking its case straight to voters by airing a half-hour TV feature on Delaware cable channel 28 and WBOC-TV.”

Expecting to see 24 minutes of Christine on the issues, many people tuned in last night and this morning to Delaware cable channel 28 (and a later schedule for WBOC was to be announced).  There was a “programing error” however.  Interestingly enough, her show has yet to air.

Combining this with the obvious slander and biased of Ginger Gibson (writer for The News Journal) who actually had to print a retraction on Thursday, makes people start to wonder.  The piece written by Ginger was a large rant, published in one of Delaware’s few state-wide newspapers.  The retraction, however, was this:

Fun, small, and hidden in the local section if you didn’t know what you were looking for it may have passed you by.

I’ll leave this up to you to decide.  Is Delaware media running a campaign against Christine O’Donnell?  I, however, AM sharing Christine’s video.  Get it out, as other people will not.

Watch her video here and VOTE to let Delaware’s mainstream media know how you feel.  I REALLY doubt they’ll be asking you this question.

Expect much more from me in the next 24 hours.  It’s the last midnight after all.

Is Christine a Cougar or is Dustin Dominiak a Douche? NOW angered women speak

One midnight gone and it seems we are even deeper into the woods than we expected.

Naturally, I am referring to the Gawker.com story (which I will not be linking) which basically calls Christine O’Donnell a cougar and discusses a story with very little proof.  The Gawker does have pictures of Christine in a Halloween costume (although the seeming consensus of the story is that the roommate of the story’s “author” dated Christine for a year, so one may consider the pictures as coming from that experience).  I will add that the Drudge Report shares pictures of the story’s author and pictures of the man Christine reportedly dated.  If you know Dustin Dominiak, feel free to call him sexually explicit names and question the last time he waxed.

Let’s take a minute and analyze what this piece has accomplished.  We are four days until the 2010 elections.  This piece looks suspiciously like a plant (and Christine makes a great ladybug).  NOW (the National Organization for Women) “condemned the tabloid website Gawker for publishing an anonymous account: NOW issued a statement late Thursday stating that “sexist, misogynist attacks against women have no place in the electoral process, regardless of a particular candidate’s political ideology.”

Even the Huffington Post admits this story crosses a line “Are we really going to get into a public debate about private dating behavior, and whether or not one sticks to a standard on a consistent basis?”

Dave Poff (the lovable Haystack) beat me to the punch as he thanks Democrat ambition for giving the win to O’Donnell in Delaware.  He states that “Hell hath no fury” and I doubt that he knows the half of it, however he does rightly point to the fact that many women are planning on not voting after this debacle.  Just look at Meghan McCain, who has gone on the record making negative statements about Christine in the past.  Meghan tweeted “I am no fan of O’Donnell but what gawker has done is disgusting and vile and once again not showcasing the real issues in this election.”

Jeff Bercovici spoke to the editor of the Gawker yesterday, Remy Stern, and quotes him as saying the following:

“We verified any of the facts he provided us with to feel really comfortable that this was all legit. We confirmed the addresses he gave us and matched the photos to make sure the guy with O’Donnell was the same guy we were talking to. We also confirmed the photos were taken on Halloween 2007 as he told us they were. We also confirmed that he lived with his roommate [who, as the story relates, ended up dating O'Donnell after the incident in question].”

Although there are no details as to how the date of the images was verified.

I am just curious as to how anyone justifies the low blows and narration the “author” of the story makes consistently throughout this story.

Here’s a note for “whomever” wrote this story *cough* Dustin Dominiak *cough* that your comments are horrific.  You are a prime example of sexual harassment and the degradation of women.  This is a small state Dustin, good luck finding a woman to ever spend time with you again (or at least for the next year).

 

Delaware Victims against Beau Biden

An ad running today and tomorrow in The News Journal includes a plea from family members of a man killed in a car crash in Delaware.  Eugene Hamilton publishes this plea:

 

There is an issue at hand that should be of concern to everyone who lives in this state — the arbitrary way in which the Department of Justice prosecutes various cases, especially those dealing with vehicular homicide.

 

Under the current attorney general, Beau Biden – who is up for re-election November 2 — the DOJ has prosecuted some people for relatively minor offenses while refusing to prosecute other people for serious offenses.  The inconsistencies in Delaware are getting growing attention in the national news media and in other circles.

 

I got a taste of it firsthand over three years ago, when my father was killed in a traffic accident; the driver of the car that hit him paid a $25 fine.

 

Biden’s opponent in the upcoming election, Doug Campbell, has made the issue part of his campaign and it appears that he is going to get some strong support as a result. We should all support him November 2. It’s important, not just for our loved ones who can no longer speak for themselves, but also for those of us who still can.

 

You can get more information at my websites: http://www.crimevictimsforcampbell.com and http://www.del-victimsrights.org

 

There is another website here which makes the following claims:

Under Attorney General Beau Biden:

·  The Delaware Department of Justice (DDOJ) has bungled eight homicide cases
From Feb. 2009 to Feb. 2010, there were 8 dropped homicide cases under Biden’s watch. According to Wilmington defense attorney John Malik (a Democrat), “This isn’t something you’ve seen in the past 20 years.” For more details see Sean O’Sullivan’s article, “Dropped cases put Biden’s approach under scrutiny” from the Wilmington News Journal, Feb. 14, 2010.

Article abstract: The News Journal In the past year, charges against defendants in eight homicide cases were dropped, dismissed by a judge or jury or reduced to near misdemeanors in what some are calling an unprecedented string of apparent failures by the Delaware Attorney General’s Office. On the same day, the state also dropped all charges against one of two men in the 2008 fatal shooting of a Newark-area Dunkin’ Donuts manager, even though they initially planned to seek the death penalty. [...] in May, a judge tossed out all charges against Loyer Braden, the sole suspect in the fatal September 2007 shooting of Delaware State University student Shalita Middleton, days before that trial was to begin. Note: the full text of this article is available online in the delawareonline.com archives.

 

·  The DDOJ has dispensed arbitrary justice
The Cases of 3 Drivers

Driver 1 came out from a stop sign and struck another vehicle, injuring its driver, who died from his injuries two weeks later. She told a police officer that she stopped at the stop sign, but two accident reconstructions subsequently proved that she ran the stop sign at a substantial rate of speed and that she was traveling above the speed limit at the point of impact. Driver 1 received a $25 fine for “Failing to Remain Stopped”. She received no other penalties, not even points on her driving record. She wasn’t even brought in for questioning after the death of her victim.

Driver 2 ran a stop sign. As in the case of Driver 1, he told a police officer that he had stopped. Upon questioning, he admitted that he had run the stop sign. Driver 2 received a six month jail sentence, one year of probation, 35 hours of community service, and a three year license suspension for virtually the same offense that netted Driver 1 a $25 fine.

Driver 3 was driving north on Route 62. She came to a traffic signal at the intersection with Route 2. The light was red and she stopped. When the light turned green, she proceeded into the intersection, making a left turn. A school bus traveling east on Route 2 at that time faced a red light at the intersection. The school bus ran the red light and collided with Driver 3′s car, seriously injuring her and killing her passenger. The school bus driver was prosecuted for Operation of a Motor Vehicle Causing Death. Driver 3 was also prosecuted for Operation of a Motor Vehicle Causing Death even though she was lawfully proceeding into an intersection while facing a green light and had the right of way.

 

·  The DDOJ has mistreated relatives of crime victims

The DDOJ has, in my opinion, made a mockery of victims rights by making false or misleading statements to victims justifying their refusal to prosecute crime perpetrators. On this matter, I speak from personal experience. My father was a victim of a homicide nearly four years ago. The DDOJ knows who caused my father’s death (they even have an admission from the perpetrator to the action that caused his death). Several of the members of the Department (including the State Prosecutor) have given me false or misleading explanations for the failure to prosecute. They have been rude to me and broken a number of promises. They have refused to return phone calls. They have not answered several of my letters and emails. The last letter was sent on July 14, 2010 to Attorney General Beau Biden, who has not even had the courtesy to respond.

 

 

No Glen Urquhart, John Carney is NOT scared…

Glen Urquhart sent out a press release today, one calling John Carney “afraid to debate”.  I have to call a foul on this comment.

Glen’s press release includes quotes from Glen’s own “Political Director”, Brad White.  Brad states “This just proves what some of us have known for quite some time, that Carney lacks substance.  Glen defeated him on the issues in every debate thus far.  If he were my candidate I wouldn’t have him get schooled by Urquhart any more either”.  White goes on to discuss his opinion that “Carney proved himself far inferior when it comes to the specifics of the issues”.

I am refraining from endorsing candidates, but many of you may read between the lines and guess (most likely correctly) who I will be voting for in this race.  Regardless of that fact, I have to say this press release is wrong.

No matter what your opinion is regarding the debate outcomes, I highly doubt John Carney is refusing to debate out of fear.  I would chalk this up to simple time management.

Glen and John’s political platforms are on complete opposite ends of the spectrum.  Either you like the recent healthcare bill or you don’t.  Either you agree with government funded abortions or you don’t.  *by the way, I have a correction here.  John Carney is not for the federal funding of abortions, but he is pro-choice.  This makes the distinction between pro-life and pro-choice (and leave the federal funding out of it for now)* John Carney is simply dealing with the fact that the election is less than a week away.  There is no point in debating anymore.

The stances in this race are clear; the lines have been drawn in the sand.  At this point there should be plenty of audio and video for either candidate to use as ammunition, but I would hesitate to call an opponent a coward because they think they have shown people enough of their true character for voters to make an informed choice.

Christine O’Donnell makes campaign movies (Videos here, including my favorite spoof)

All over the internet people are watching videos of the Christine O’Donell ads.  In an effort to save you some searching, check out some of the ads here:

Christine O’Donnell: I’m You

(The highlight of this video may be the spoofs that came after, helping to make Christine a household name)

My favorite spoof is this totally catchy version (this one is NOT an official Christine for Senate video [as will become obvious when you watch it):

Chris Coons is the Taxman, a made for DC movie (ok, well, this IS the TV ad:

Chris Coons the Taxman, the full preview:

Chris Coons is Rubber Stamp Man, another made for DC movie:

Not as funny, but still an official Christine video is “She’ll Stand for her Principles”:

So, enjoy and feel free to laugh at these videos, they’re meant to put a smile on your face!